THE CHURCH:
Unable to Congregate
How
can a congregation not congregate? This is the question churches are considering during this time of social distancing and sheltering at home.
Many have offered worship services online through Facebook Live, YouTube, and website streaming. Providing an online option is not new for every church, but many of the results are. The almost universal utilization of online worship services has resulted in many fruits of conversion. For example, one church told of a streaming service that led to an unbelieving spouse of a church member praying to receive Christ right in his living room after years of resistance to the Gospel. This kind of scenario has been repeated numerous times! Another new option some churches are providing is drive-in church. This is when a church invites people to gather in their cars in the parking lot for a worship service. Here are some preliminary suggestions and reminders from more than a dozen pastors whose churches have conducted DRIVE-IN SERVICES:
Provide assistance to direct people to designated parking spots, one space apart.
Have the parking assistants arrive very early because many attendees will do the same to get a prime spot. Rev. Jonathan Haskew at Henry Baptist Church (Henry, VA) advised, “If possible, park the cars so that all can see you.”
Make sure that the service is simple—no announcements and other extras.
6 | Proclaimer / Summer 2020
